Backgrounds

Inquisitive

You solve crimes for a living. You might be a private detective, a troubleshooter for the dragonmarked houses, or a specialist working within the Sharn city watch.

Trait—Private Eye: You have previously distinguished yourself by solving crimes that the usual authorities could not. The specifics of these past capers are up to you. You have a knowledge of Khorvairian laws, law enforcement, and criminal organizations. (Holmesian expertise in every domain of learning is beyond this background. His uncanny knowledge is explained by his high level, 19 Intelligence, and feats granting him every available field of lore in the game.)

When in a city or other settlement, you can find information about currently-unsolved crimes and mysteries, and you can secure the legal authority to investigate them. Sometimes the authorities will come to you, and sometimes you simply scan the broadsheets until you see where your skills are needed. Your reputation and knowledge make it easy for you to establish useful contacts in the city watch.

When you attempt to reconstruct past events by examining evidence, if you fail to identify a clue (for example, the origin of a flower petal found crushed in a footprint), the trail does not run cold. You instead know where to take the clue to identify it. This may be a local specialist, an alchemist on the other side of Khorvaire, your own home laboratory, or a prisoner whose crime you previously solved.

Proficiencies

Languages

One of your choice.

Equipment

Common clothes, oilcloth watchcoat (shoulder cape optional), one set of manacles, investigation kit, and 36 gp, and 8 sp.

New Equipment

Investigation Kit: This set of tools aids in the search and examination of clues. Included in this kit are containers of various shapes and sizes made of glass, metal, and wood; fine silk gloves; mundane dusts and brushes; tweezers, picks, and probes; a magnifying glass; ink and quills; chalk and charcoal; parchment sheets; and a small notebook. It grants a +2 bonus on Search checks made to investigate the scene of a crime or other mystery.